Chapter 13: Getting More from Mates
Multiple Mate modeMultiple Mate mode enables you to select one face in order to mate multiple parts to it. Figure 13.4
shows the interface for this mode, which you can toggle to from the Mate PropertyManager interface.
Multiple Mate mode is the paperclip with the lightning bolt icon without any text on it. This
function works only with the Standard Mate types, not with any of the Advanced mates, which I
discuss later in this chapter.
FIGURE 13.4The Multiple Mate mode interface
You can create a special folder for all the multiple mates by selecting the Create multi-mate folder
check box in the Mate Selections PropertyManager. You can also automatically link the values for
distance and angle mates with link values by selecting the Link dimensions check box.Taking advantage of SmartMates
SmartMates are mates that you can create automatically by dragging one part onto the other
without invoking the Mate command. There are three different methods that you can use to apply
SmartMates:l (^) Alt+dragging the part
l Dragging the part from one window to another
l (^) Using Mate references
Alt+dragging a SmartMate
Probably the easiest way to quickly create a SmartMate is by Alt+dragging. One, two, or even three
mates can be applied at once by holding down the Alt key while dragging a face or edge from one
part onto a face or edge on another part.
When you are dragging a part while pressing the Alt key, the part is made transparent to enable
you to see other part faces that you may want to mate it to. A special cursor appears when a
SmartMate is about to be applied. Figure 13.5 shows the cursors that appear for adding Concentric
and Coincident mates.